Coupling for sectional rods.



' I w W 3 L. L. MAST.

COUPLING FOR SECTIONAL RODS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1914.

Patented May 18, 1915.

81mm. Iowa's THh NORRIS PETERS Ca. FHOm-LITHQ. WASHINQTO'N, D. C

"are detail views of the coupling showing UNITED STATES PATENT onrro LOUIS L. MAST, or WEST MILTON, 01110.. I 1 i s v i .5...) 1;. J5

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs L. MAST, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Milton, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Sectional Rods, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the'accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a coupling for sectional rods and is designed more particularly for use in connection with lightning rods.

Lightning rods are now commonly formed from copper tubing and for convenience in manufacture and shipment this tubing is made up in comparatively short sections, the sections being usually about ten feet in length. The several sections are united in endWise relation when the rod is erected and when so united constitute the completed lightning rod.

The object of the present invention is to provide a coupling comprising two parts which can be secured to the respective sections of the rod at the factory and which may be readily connected one to the other when the rod is erected to unite the sections into a continuous rod.

It is a further object of the invention to so construct the coupling that it will not only form a strong mechanical connection between the sections of the rod but will form a good electrical conductor.

A further object of the invention is to so vation and the other in section Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view taken on the line as w of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail view of one end of one of the rod sections showing the corrugations therein; and Figs. 4 and '5 embodiment of the invention and have shown the same as applied to a lightning COUPLING FOR SECTIONAL sons. 7 J

Patented May 18, 1915.

rod formed of metal tubing having spiral corrugations extending lengthwise thereof,

but it will be understood that the invention 7 llQIGlIl illustrated may be used in connection with rods or similar parts of variouskinds and that it is not necessary to the applica- 'tion of the coupling that the rod should be hollow throughoutits; length but it is suflicient if the two rods or two sections of the rod to be connected have openings in their plurality of sections indicated by the reference numeral 1. Each section consists of a length of metal tubing, preferably copper and this tubing is corrugated lengthwise of the sections and spirally thereof, In the" v present instance I have provided the sections of the rod with six-longitudinalcorrugations or ribs. I have chosen this number because it enables me to so corrugate the, rod as to-give it the desired qualities, that is, to enable it to be bent or shaped without v destroying its shape, and at the same time, owing to the large number of corrugations I produced, each corrugation or rib extends about the axis of the ro'd'only a few times and, therefore, the coil which these, corrugations tend to form has but a few convolutions and the effect produced by the electricity traveling about these convolutions is greatly reduced. The machine upon which these hollow rods are formed and corrugated is of such a character that the end portions of the corrugations are substan tially straight or parallel with the axisof the' rod. While this arrangement of the corrugations is such as to facilitate the application of my invention to the rod it is by no meansnecessary.

The coupling which I have provided con-' sists broadly of two members-having means for separably connecting the same one to the other, each section being provided wlthja core, adapted to extend intothe openend of the rod'section to which it'is to be attached,

and having one or'moreparts' or fingers arranged to extend po t exterior ofthe I rod section when the core has been placed within the opening in the rod. These parts or fingers are'of such acharacter that they may be pressed against the outer wall ofthe rod, thereby pressing the material firmly --11o against the core and clamping the coupling member rigidly to the end of the section. The details of the construction may be varied but in the presentembodiment of the invention I have shown the coupling as comprising two members 2 and 3, the member 2 having a screw-threaded socket 4 adapted to receive a screw-threaded lug or projection 5 on the member 3. In the application of the coupling to the rod sections the socket member 2 is secured to one end of each section and the member 3 to the other end, thereby enabling the sections to be connected one to the other to form a continuous rod of any desired length. Each section of the coupling has a portion, such as a core 6, adapted to extend into the opening in the end of the rod to which the coupling member is to be connected. In the present instance this core extends into the hollow end of the tube forming the rod section and is of a diameter substantially equal to the smallest inside diameter of such corrugated section.

Each section also has one or more other parts arranged to be pressed against the outer surface of the rod section to clamp the same against the core. As here shown these parts are in the form of fingers 6 arranged substantially parallel with the core 6 but flared slightly away from the core to facilitate the application of the coupling member to the end of the rod section. These fingers are especially desirable where the coupling is to be applied to a corrugated rod section and I prefer to employ one finger for each groove formed by the corrugations of the rod. In the present instance there are six such fingers. These fingers may be secured to the coupling member in any suitable manner but I prefer to form them integral therewith and, in the present instance, they are formed on the coupling member by casting the member as one piece. The fingers are preferably of brass or copper and can be bent inward and pressed against the metal walls of the rod to clamp these walls against the core .6. The thickness of the fingers and the stiffness of the metal is such that they will be retained firmly in the positions to which they have been pressed until a very considerable force has been applied to them to force them outward. The force required for this is greater than thestrength of the metal coupling will be apparent from the foregoing description. The coupling is applied to sections can not be separated except by beginning at one end and systematically tear ing down the rod as a whole. Further, the

connections between the tubular sections of the rod and the couplings are as strong or stronger than the metal of the tubular sections and, consequently, the connections will stand all the strain that the rods themselves will stand.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention it will be understood that this has been chosen for the purposes of illustration only and that I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will "occur to a person skilled in the art. 7

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a rod comprising a plurality of sections, the adjacent ends of said sections having openings, of a coupling for connecting said sections comprising two members having means for connecting them one to the other, each of said members having apart arranged to extend into the opening in one of said sections and also having a second part arranged to be pressed against the exterior of said section to clamp the material of said section between the two parts of said coupling member.

2. The combination, with a rod consisting of a plurality of sections, the adjacent ends of said sections having openings therein, of a coupling comprising two members, each member having a core to enter the opening in the adjacent end of one of said sections and having projections arranged to extend on the exterior of said section and to be pressed against the same to clamp the wall of the rod section between the core and the projections, the two members of said coupling having cooperating parts to detachfabily connect them one to the other.

3. In a lightning rod, the combination, with a lp'lurality of hollow longitudinal corrugated sections, of a coupling to connect the adjacent ends of two of said sections comprising two members, each member having a core to extend into the adjacent end of one of. said hollow sections and having a series of fingers arranged toextend into the exterior grooves of said corrugated rod sections and to be pressed inward to clamp said hollow rod between said fingers and H said core, the two members of said coupling 7 having cooperating parts to connect said rod having an opening in one end thereof,

of a coupling member having a core extending into said opening and having fingers extending on the outside of said rod and adapted to be pressed inward to clamp the wall of said opening between said core and said fingers.

5. A coupling member comprising a core, and a plurality of fingers arranged substantially'parallel with said core, spaced away therefrom and movable toward said core.

6. A coupling comprising a member hav ing one end screw-threaded and having at the other end a reduced portion forming a core, a series of fingers formed integral with said member, extending substantially parallel with said core, spaced awaytherefrom and adapted to be pressed inward toward,

said core.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my slgnature 1n presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS L. MAST.

Witnesses i EDWARD L. REED, F. W. SCHAEFER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0. 

